NFL Player Arrests, Citations Down Slightly In The Past Year
 |
Burress Arrest Just One Of 451 NFL
Player Arrests, Major Citations Since '00 |
There have been 451 NFL player "arrests and major citations since 2000," with 61 such incidents occurring in the past year, "down slightly" from 65 the previous year, according to statistics cited by Brent Schrotenboer of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. The past year's totals also "show 20[%] fewer incidents compared to the 79 before" NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell implemented the league's personal-conduct policy in '07. Drunken driving and repeat offenders "remain the NFL's biggest off-field problems," though 75% of teams have "adopted a ride-home program for players who have been drinking, up substantially in recent years." The Jaguars since the personal-conduct policy was put into place have had the most incidents, as 13 Jaguars "have been arrested or received major citations in the past two years." Schrotenboer noted that is "part of the reason the team overhauled its front office after last season," promoting former VP/Player Personnel Gene Smith to GM & Senior VP/Player Personnel and "giving him final say in personnel matters along with owner Wayne Weaver." Smith "promised a stronger emphasis on character." But the Jaguars case is "another reminder of how character issues remain a focus for the league, so much so that [Goodell] toughened his policy in August," when the league "started requiring teams to pay the league a portion of the salaries forfeited by players suspended for violating its policies regarding personal conduct, substance abuse or performance-enhancing drugs." NFL Senior VP/PR Greg Aiello said that Goodell "toughened the conduct policy because he wanted to hold teams accountable as well," and he added that "about $130,000 has been collected in such fines from 'two or three' teams, though he declined to say which ones." Schrotenboer noted Goodell has "suspended 12 players under the policy" since August (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 4/11).
OFF THE MARKET: SI.com's Peter King wrote NFL fans need to "understand one thing about [free agent WR Plaxico] Burress in 2009: The man is not going to play football." Burress is "going to jail (I think for one year) and he is not going to be around to play football this fall," and even if Burress were to go to jail "for less than a year, [Goodell] almost certainly is going to add to the sanction with an NFL suspension because of the discharging of an unlicensed weapon" (SI.com, 4/13).
|
Related Stories By Company
|
Related Stories By Sport
|
Bears Deny Rift With NBC
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Gruden Committed To Improving On "MNF"
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Obama To Appear In PSA With Three NFLers
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
NFL Forms New Player Advisory Forum
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
NFLPA Urges Agents To Have Clients Sign GLA
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
|
Bills Owner Prepared To Make Big Changes
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Bears Deny Rift With NBC
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
MSFC Threatens Vikings With Penalties
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Gruden Committed To Improving On "MNF"
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Obama To Appear In PSA With Three NFLers
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
|
|
